Discharge device for vertical retorts



F. J. WEST ET AL DISCHARGE DEVICE FOR VERTICAL RETORTS Oct. 21, 1952 2SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed April 19, 1949 ,2 2 1 +322 2322 22ZZZ; 22%

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Oct- 21, 195 F. J. WEST ET AL DISCHARGE DEVICE FOR VERTICAL RETORTS 2SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed April 19, 1949 Patented Oct. 21, 1952 DISCHARGEDEVICE FOR VERTICAL RETORTS Frederick Joseph West and Ernest West,Manchester, England, assignors to W-ests Gas Improvement CompanyLimited, Manchester, England, a British company Application April 19,1949, Serial No. 88,446 In Great Britain April 21, 1948 1 Claim.

This invention relates to vertical retorts for the continuouscarbonisation of coal and the like and is concerned with the means bywhich the coke is extracted from the base of each retort and deliveredinto the coke chamber below.

It is usual practice to effect coke extraction from a retort by a wormor helix on a vertical spindle which is turned slowly by suitable means.This arrangement whilst satisfactory in service does involve theimposition of considerable lateral thrust on the top end of the spindledue to out-of-balance forces, and necessitates a considerable verticallength of worm or helix bein employed to prevent self-discharge of thecoke from the retort through the worm or helix.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved cokeextractor which obviates or minimises the disadvantages indicated aboveand effects a more uniform rate of coke extraction.

In accordance with our invention, the extractor comprises a multistarthelix with the leading edges radially or substantially radially disposedat the top surface of the extractor and the rear edge of each portion ofa helix extending below and behind the leading edge of the nextsucceeding helix portion, the over-lappin part of the said rear edgebeing horizontal or substantially so and extending to such a distancebeyond the said leading edge above that the coke can rest on thehorizontal part at its natural angle of repose and so self-discharge isobviated.

Preferably we employ a two start helix with each portion extendingslightly more than half way around the axis about which the extractorrevolves. This arrangement provides two mouths or orifices through whichcoke extraction takes place. The leading edge of each helix is a cuttingedge.

Referring to the accompanying explanatory drawings;

Figures 1 and 2 are sectional views taken at right angles to one anotherof a vertical retort with its coke chamber, having a coke extractorconstructed in one convenient form in accordance with this invention.

Figures 3 and 4 are views of the coke extractor shown in Figures 1. and2 but drawn to a larger scale.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view on the line 55 of Figure 4. v

a is the vertical retort in which coal carbonisation is effected and bthe coke chamber into which the coke extracted from the base of thevertical retort by the coke extractor is received and retained until itis discharged by opening the discharge door 0. The coke extractor dwhich also serves to support the charge in the retort, comprises amulti-start helix upon a vertical spindle e which is revolved slowly andgenerally intermittently by a worm and worm wheel turned by a pawl andratchet wheel g. The illustration shows a two start helix, with eachportion extending slightly more than half way around the axis aboutwhich it turns. The leading edge h of each helix is a cutting edge andis radially or substantially radially disposed at the top surface of theextractor and the rear edge 1' of each portion of a helix extends belowand behind the leading edge of the next succeeding helix portion, theoverlappin part 7' of the said rear edge being horizontal orsubstantially so and extending to such a distance beyond the saidleading edge above, that the coke can rest on the horizontal part at itsnatural angle of repose and so self-discharge is obviated.

The arrangement illustrated provides two mouths or orifices throughwhich coke extraction takes place.

With our improvement we can use a relatively short axial length of helixwhilst effectively 0bviatin self-discharge of the coke. In addition theuse of two extraction orifices gives a balancing action on the spindlecarrying the extractor.

We claim:

In a vertical retort for the continuous carbonisation of coal and thelike in which a revolving coke extractor upon a'vertical axis isarranged at the base of the retort to support the charge in the retortand to effect extraction therefrom, the improvement which comprises theformation of the extractor as a multistart helix with the leading edgessubstantially radially disposed at the top surface of the extractor andthe rear edge of each portion of a helix extending below and behind theleading edge of the next succeeding helix portion, the overlapping partof the said rear edge being substantially horizontal and extending tosuch a distance beyond the said leading edge above, that the coke canrest file of this patent:

4 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date on the horizontal part at itsnatural angle of 1,011,425 Glover et aL Dec 12, 1911 response to obviateself-discharge; the axial of 1,491,036 Glover et a1 22 1924 saidextractor being relatively short as compar 5 1525369 Sparks 10, 1925Wlth Its dlameter- 2,082,270 West June 1, 1937 FREDERICK JOSEPH WEST-2,525,973 Sundstrom et 21. Oct. 17, 1950 ERNEST WEST.

FOREIGN PATENTS REFERENCES C TE 10 Number Country Date The followingreferences are of record in the 329,327 Great Britain y 1930

